[trollbearpig]

Just popped in Quantum Science Audio yellow fuse in my May L2. Fantastic upgrade.



Improved soundstage width and depth, improved imaging and separation as well as overall resolution. Bass increase too. Not burned in yet, but very happy with this so far. Guy at Futureshop in UK recommended it as SR Purple fuses were unavailable. They did it for the same price. Perfectly happy with money > performance improvement here.

First time replacing a fuse. Can't believe six months ago what I would have made of such things, but the improvement is quite wonderful

Nice! I have the May L2 pending, probably a few weeks to go. How many fuses are needed and what kind of fuse type was it? I see a bunch of options and....oh my the cost for some is quite high D': How is the process for changing that out and does it void the warranty?

 

[walterboss]

Nice! I have the May L2 pending, probably a few weeks to go. How many fuses are needed and what kind of fuse type was it? I see a bunch of options and....oh my the cost for some is quite high D': How is the process for changing that out and does it void the warranty?

Where are you based? EU? USA?

Fuse for me on 220v may is 2a slow blow. I only changed the one next to the power socket of the power supply unit.
Will change the fuse in my amp next.
Qsa have directional arrows on them. Have them pointing up but this is all EU version of the unit.

 

[incredulousity]

Direction is up for the US version too.

 

[seeteeyou]

Does anyone know if the power output of the external PSU were actually providing only a single DC voltage, or maybe multiple DC voltages could be involved?

Talema transformers (DC 7V) are only used for the sleep/mute mode, therefore I'm suspecting that both O-type transformers might provide something other than DC 7V since the DC power connectors on both ends got so many pins.

I've been trying to find out if their DC Power Distributor were able to squeeze even more performance outta May DAC

https://taikoaudio.com/taiko-2020/product/extreme-dc-power-distributor/

BTW, someone else modified his May DAC and that seemed to be a nice upgrade

https://www.hiendy.com/hififorum/forum.php?mod=viewthread&tid=137278

 

[rsbrsvp]

Has anyone compared the may with the audio-gd R7-HE? They should be compared...

 

[Exekuhtor]

I tried to dig deeper into a comparison between the Spring 3 KTE and a May (KTE), if the upgrade is worth it. Goldensound seems do be in the middle, New Record Day says there is only a very minor difference, and Passion for Sound hears a big improvement. So that's not helpful.
Anyone in here who upgraded from Spring 3 KTE -> May (at least level 2) and really felt it was really worth it?

I don't know if i would get a preamp option for my Envy with it, that's another story (because i use the preamp function on my Spring).

 

[Conan1974]

I think the NRD is the closest to the truth.
I did not have the May, but had the Spring 3. Compared the dac with the price of more than 3000 EUR, with Gato Audio DIA250S. With the price tag of 2500 EUR. The only difference was, that the Holo was bit louder. The funny or tragic thing was, that the difference was disappearing when the song was very calm. When the music was again very busy, dynamic with lots of everything, the difference was coming back. But it was something I could get on my amp, by just turning the volume up.
This is why I stopped to belive in differences and a great sound Quality, that comes with big money. I am not happy about it, was thinking, every 3 or 4 years, some euro more will buy me better sound. Not happening.

But this is me, someone who has to work for the money and is not paying for anything that is not worth it. Does not matter, who made it. Ok, only thing that can force me to pay, without the gain in sound QA is look of a gear. Hier I am lost.

 

[joseph69]

I don't know if i would get a preamp option for my Envy with it, that's another story (because i use the preamp function on my Spring).

I have the Spring3 KTE w/o the preamp option--but now that I have an incoming Envy I wished I'd opted for the preamp that I thought I'd never use. Can I ask why you "don't know if you'd get the preamp option for your Envy with it" if you bought the May?

 

[Exekuhtor]

I have the Spring3 KTE w/o the preamp option--but now that I have an incoming Envy I wished I'd opted for the preamp that I thought I'd never use. Can I ask why you "don't know if you'd get the preamp option for your Envy with it" if you bought the May?

I'm just saying that when i want to upgrade from the Spring 3 KTE to the May, i would probably also need to get another dedicated preamp, since i really like using the integrated one from the Spring with the Envy. Because the Spring / May is such a hot DAC that it makes the volume pot (which is already not great in terms of adjustment, you basically only use 8-10 o'clock which makes small adjustments finicky, everything above that gets too loud).

That means that i would need to get a Serene or something similiar, which increases the cost a lot of the "just upgrade the Spring to the May" thought. That's probably the main point why i haven't done it, together with the question if the sound upgrade is really that big...

When i bought my Spring 3 KTE, at first i didn't want to go for the preamp module either, but after getting into tube amps i'm really glad i did, i had a feeling that it might be indispensable in the future.

 

[plumpudding2]

I'm just saying that when i want to upgrade from the Spring 3 KTE to the May, i would probably also need to get another dedicated preamp, since i really like using the integrated one from the Spring with the Envy. Because the Spring / May is such a hot DAC that it makes the volume pot (which is already not great in terms of adjustment, you basically only use 8-10 o'clock which makes small adjustments finicky, everything above that gets too loud).

That means that i would need to get a Serene or something similiar, which increases the cost a lot of the "just upgrade the Spring to the May" thought. That's probably the main point why i haven't done it, together with the question if the sound upgrade is really that big...

When i bought my Spring 3 KTE, at first i didn't want to go for the preamp module either, but after getting into tube amps i'm really glad i did, i had a feeling that it might be indispensable in the future.

Spring 3 or May both get better if you use HQPlayer, which also gives you perfectly lossless digital volume control for almost all practical use cases. Maybe something to give a try? It has a free demo.

 

[Exekuhtor]

Na, i'm a NOS guy, that's why i bought the stuff. Don't need upsampling...

 

[plumpudding2]

Na, i'm a NOS guy, that's why i bought the stuff. Don't need upsampling...

ah yeah NOS certainly has its charm. If I ever feel like I need digital volume control on the May in NOS mode I upsample to x32 rates with the polynomial-1 filter.
It has zero filter ringing and to my ears preserves the NOS character of the May, while giving you the advantage of linearising the R2R ladder by only feeding it 20 bits and using a noise shaper to make digital volume control lossless. Might be something to try if you ever get curious again

 

[ddtomas]

Pulled the trigger on a L2 May today.
Will likely be able compare it against my current DAC, a Pontus II.
Expectations are high!

 

[walterboss]

Pulled the trigger on a L2 May today.
Will likely be able compare it against my current DAC, a Pontus II.
Expectations are high!

Mine is way better than my previous Dave. Knew within 5 mins to be honest. Incredible dac.

 

[vonBaron]

Strong statement